The Reel: TiMER

TiMER is a romantic comedy. However it’sp remise is based on science fiction. In the movie a TiMER is a device implanted into someone’s wrist, and it counts down to the day the wearer finds true love. On that day and that time, each person’s TiMER will go off when they are in the same room or space. If your true love doesn’t have his or her TiMER yet, then it will remain blank. Oona O’Leary, an orthodontist, has been very optimistic about finding love and has refused to get a TiMER up until now, as she has exits her twenties and enters her thirties.

The movie obviously assumes that there is a soulmate for everybody somewhere out there, which is actually not far from what most people believe. Oona gets her TiMER probably hoping to get some relief. Yes she might be in her thirties with no man but knowing exactly when she will meet her soulmate will bring her some comfort in knowing that it’s only a matter of time. Unfortunately for Oona her TiMER is blank, which I believe leaves her in a more confused mind set. She starts dating one TiMERless guy after another convincing them to get a TiMER only to witness their TiMER light up as hers remains blank. She then meets Mike, a cashier at a Supermaket. Mike is younger, and has a childlike attitude toward life. Even though there are 4 months left on his TiMER, Mike is still out to have fun, enjoying life, and not caring what the TiMER says. The two eventually develop a genuine loving relationship which makes them question the authenticity of the TiMER.

The movie opens up to different shots displaying time. Highlighting how much we all rely on time in our lives. How much time not only controls our lives but also helps us organize our lives. One of the few elements not controlled by time is love, and director Jac Schaeffer is telling us what he thinks would happen if that was the case.

There are a variety of supporting characters who all reacts differently to this TiMER. There is Oola’s care free step sister who entirely believes in the TiMER but also believes in having fun until the bog date. There is the wealthy family with their young son (not older than 12) whose TiMER goes off in front of everyone when the gardener’s daughter step out of their beat up pickup truck. His parents were NOT happy, but hers were.

All of these different funny scenarios certainly raise a lot of questions. What would you do while you wait for your soul mate? What if your soul mate never gets a TiMER? What if your TiMER goes off when you are young? Should you still experience until you’re ready to marry? What if you are in love with someone who is not your soulmate?

I found TiMER to be interesting and fun to watch; and unlike most romantic comedy. It’s certainly a great conversation starter. I give it 3 stars out of 5. Also as an IT professional I kept wondering about the algorithm of the TiMER, and how much money this would sell in real life.

The movie is available to stream on Netflix.